Fluid-pressure engine.



A. E. L. CHORLTON.

FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25,1912,

' 2 SHEETSSHEET 1. $591.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (30., WASHINGTON, D. c

1,078,661. PatentedN0v.18,1913.

A. E. L. OHORLTON. FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25,1912.

' 1,078,661, Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

#070 8 //7/ cW/o I' ALAN ERNEST LEOFRIC CHORLTON, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

FLUID-PRESSURE ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

Application filed. June 25, 1912. Serial No. 705,697.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALAN ERNEST Lnornro CrroRL'roN, a subject of the King of Great Britain residing at Salford Iron Works, Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fluid-Pressure Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fluid pressure engines (including internal combustion engines) of the valveless type in which two double act-ing pistons connected to the same crank shaft work in cylinders placed side by side and communicating with each other by connecting chambers at each end. In an engine of this type one piston serves as an admission valve for the charge and the other as an exhaust valve.

According to this invention the double acting piston serving for admission of the motive fluid is given a lead with regard to the other piston by setting the crank pinto which it is connected at an angle to the crank pin of the exhaust piston. The lead of the admission piston may be adjusted by varying the setting of the cranks or by other convenient means so as to obtain the best results under varying conditions. In the case of valveless steam engines the admission piston has a backward lead over the exhaust piston and is formed with a steam channel affording communication at the end of each stroke between a centrally placed steam inlet and a bypass in the cylinder admitting steam to the working space of both cylinders. As applied to double acting internal combustion engines of the two stroke kind the exhaust piston is set a little in advance of the admission piston, so that the exhaust port is opened shortly before the admission port and the pressure in the cylinders and the connect-ing chamber at either end is released before the scavenging air enters and drives out the remaining products of combustion. As the inlet port remains open after the ex haust is closed a larger charge can be introduced than would be the case without such lag in the closing of the inlet port, full advantage being taken of the pressure in the inlet pipe. The dilference in phase between the cranks may be such that the inlet port opens and closes after the exhaust closes.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawlngs in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of a steam engine embodying my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively a typical indicator diagram (for the exhaust cylinder) and valve diagram of the steam engine, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section of an internal combustion engine showing the relative positions of the pistons at about the end of a stroke.

A, A are the inlet and exhaust cylinders having contracted connecting passages a of Venturi type.

B, B are the double acting inlet and exhaust pistons with piston rods 1) passing through glands a, in the lower ends of the cylinders. The inlet and exhaust ports a are placed centrally and extend around the circumference of each cylinder establishing communication during the required intervals between the cylinders and the annular inlet and exhaust chambers C, which are secured between cylinder flanges a The cylinders illustrated are of special construct-ion, forming the subject ofanother application of even date, and this construction, in which the cylinders consist of two single walled U-shaped tubes one inverted over the other and carrying the annular inlet and exhaust boxes between their uniting flanges a is no part of the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 1 the inlet piston B is of different form to the exhaust piston B and is substantially longer. The central portion or body of the piston is reduced to form end a flanges and a central annular chamber or channel Z) which is open to the inlet chamber C through the ports a toward the end of a stroke and establishes communication between these ports and the lower end of the by-pass a leading to the back of the piston. The drawing shows the position of the piston when steam is being admitted to the upper end of the cylinders a bypass a being placed at each end of the inlet cylin der. The by-pass is shown as a passage leading through the cylinder walls but may of course be of any other suitable form such as a channel or channels in the inner face of the cylinder.

The cranks to which the pistons are connected are, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3, set at an angle to each other, cl indicating the position of the exhaust crank and D the position of the inlet crank near the advance of the latter V is shown at D in the i 7 .(D giving the angular position of the ports a belonging to the-inlet cylinder A, but the channel communicates with one of the by-passes a onl'y when the corresponding endflange of the piston uncovers the end of the by-pass as shown torthe upper bypass'in Fig. 1. The point in the upward movement of the'pist'on when this occurs valve diagram Fig. 2

crank), and the by-pass remains open until the piston reachesthe top of its stroke and returns to the same position, when the steam.

to the top working chambers of the two cylinders A and A is cut off.- The corresponding crank position is indicated at D in the diagram. As the exhaust piston B is given a forward lead over the inlet piston B the positions of the exhaust crank corresponding to the points D and D on the diagram are indicatedby the points (Z and cl, the angle of lead (which may of course be variable to suit varyingconditions of working) being given by the angular distance between D and (Z or between D and cl. This 7 the admission of angle it will be observed is a small one, and the arrangement 'is thus clearly distinguished from engines having two pistons in parallelcylinders, the cranks of which pistons are-set at right angles to each other, while the pistons themselves act as inlet and exhaust valves one for the other. Such an angular setting does not give any lead, as steam to both cylinders is not simultaneous but is out of phase to the same extent as the pistons themselves. Gonsidering the exhaust, this is opened when the upper-edge of the exhaust piston B uncovers the ports a in the cylinder A and the position of the crankot' this piston at the opening of the exhaust is indicated by the point 03 of Fig. 2, the exhaust remain ing open until the piston B completes its downward stroke and returns to the same Y position in the cylinder, corresponding to the point (Z ofthe diagram. v The pressure diagram of Fig. 2 further illustrates the operation of the engine, and from this diagram it will be understood that suction occurs from the point (Z to the point 03. From point (Z to d the motor fluid is supplied at constant pressure; from d to d the motor fluid expands during work ing, and from d to d exhaust takes place. The engine above described'may also be each cylinder,

driven by working fluid other than steam,

if the working fluid is supplied tofthe cylinders under pressure, as, for example, in the case of hot air engines,

In the internal combustion engine shown in Fig. ithe inlet and exhaust pistons B and B are similar to each other and. the exhaust piston B is set a little in advance of the inlet piston B, so that the ports a of the exhaust are uncovered before the inlet ports and the incoming charge-meets with no appreciable back pressure'until the ex haust closes, which occurs shortly before the closing of the inlet permitting under the pressure of the delivery pump to be introduced;

The annular inletchamber C.may be provided with the partition 0 to admit separate air and fuel charges, the airenteringfirst as a scavenging charge, to be followed by the combustible mixture. As in the case of the steam engine first described the cycle of operations is the same for both ends'of the cylinders. a Y

a full charge hat I claim and'desire .to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a valveless fluid pressure engine, two cylinders placed side by side, open 'communicating passages between both ends of the cylinders, cylinder, exhaust ports midway ofthe second cylinder and a double acting pistonin one of the said pistons being given a lead with respect to the other. r

inlet ports midway of one 2..In a valvel-esssteam engine, "communi eating admission and exhaust cylinders placed side by side, central'inlet'and exhaust ports torthe said cylinders, steam bypass channels at each end of the admission cylinder, a double acting exhaust piston and a double actmg admission piston havinga I steam channel adapted to afford communication between the inlet-port and the said by-pass at the end of a stroke. 7

3. In a valveless steam engine, communicating admission and exhaust cylinders placed side by side,centra l inlet and exhaust ports for the said cylinders, steam bypass channels at each'end of the admission cylinder, a double acting exhaust piston and a double acting admissionpiston the body of which is reduced to form an annular surrounding steam space in communication with the inlet port and adapted to open the inlet to the said by-passat the end of a stroke. r

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses. Y

ALAN ERNEST LEOFRIG OHORLTON.

Copies ofthis. patentmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. C. 

